Frame element for unform caps



FRAME ELEMENT FOR UNIFORM CAPS Filed Oct. 22. 1965 E 1/ 17 \w 3o FIG.3

INVENTOR.

Clifford Vanderbush BY 13, W

AT TORNEY United States Patent 3,287,738.. FRAME ELEMENT FOR UNIFORM CAPS Clifford Vanderbush, Closter, N.J., assignor to Frielich Brothers Corp., New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed Oct. 22, 1965, Ser. No. 500,503 6 Claims. (Cl. 2209.7)

This invention relates to frame elements which provide shaping and stiffening means for uniform caps.

An object of this invention is to provide an improved molded plastic frame element for inclusion in uniform caps, which includes novel structural features whereby the weight and bulk of the frame element is minimized, yet provides requisite shaping and stiffening for the cap; and further, facilitates the sewing operations wherein various component parts of the cap are sewn to the frame element.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved frame element for uniform caps, wherein such element comprises a molded plastic strip having a perforated intermediate zone for ventilation and marginal zones for sewing cap components thereto, the intermediate zone being of a minimum thickness to reduce weight and bulk, but being embossed in a manner to impart substantial stiffness to an otherwise thin cross section.

Other objects of this invention will in part be obvious and in part hereinafter pointed out.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a front plan view of a portion of a frame element for uniform caps, embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is a rear plan view thereof; and

FIG. 3 is an enlarged, transverse sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of FIG. 1.

Essentially, the frame element for uniform caps, of the instant invention, comprises a flat molded plastic strip having a smooth back surface, and an embossed front surface portion with ventilating openings therein and flanked by smooth marginal sewing portions.

Thus, as shown in the drawing, designates a frame element for a uniform cap, embodying the invention. The same is formed of a molded plastic in strip form of indefinite length; the strip being cut into individual pieces of a length sufficient to form the shaping and stiffening element for a uniform cap of given head size. Frame element 10 may be molded of suitable resins such as polyvinyl copolymer, polyethylene, polystyrene, polypropylene or the like.

The strip 10, which may have a width of the order of about 2", comprises on its front surface 11, an intermediate zone 12 which constitutes a major portion of the total width of strip 10, and marginal portions 13, 14 on either side of zone 12.

The marginal portions 13, 14 have smooth flat surface portions 15, 16 respectively which extend from outer edges 17, 18 inwardly to inner edges 19, 20 which form the juncture of marginal portions 13, 14 with intermediate zone 12.

The intermediate zone 12 is formed with longitudinally extending rows of ventilating openings 21, which for the purpose of illustration are shown as three in number. The openings 21 are defined by embossed surface portions lying between said openings. Such embossed design takes the form of simulated interwoven reeds, including transversely extending paired reed portions 23, 24; diagonally extending reed portions 25, 26; and longitudinally extending paired reed portions 27, 28.

The rear surface 30 of strip 10 is smooth and continuously planar between edges 17, 18 thereof. The marginal portions 13, 14. have a thickness of: the order of about .040" while, the intermediate zone 12 has a thickness of the order of about .060". The marginal portions 13, 14 have a width of about A" which facilitates the sewing operations when frame element 10 is incorporated in a uniform cap, in a manner well known in the art. In such cap assembly, various cap. components must be sewn to the upper and lower marginal edges of the frame element.

It has been found, that despite the minimized thickness of the intermediate zone 12 of element 10; the raised bossed effect attained by the reed design in simulated interwoven effect imparts substantial stiffness to the element 10, particularly in view of the perforations 21 which may be of about /s" in size.

The relatively thinned marginal edge portions 13, 14 expedite sewing operations in the cap assembly while the stiffened portion of the cap frame element facilitates handling the same during the assembly operations, as well as optimizing shaping and stiffening effects in the finished uniform cap.

It is understood that while the simulated, interwoven reed design is preferred, other embossing designs may be used to attain the desired, stiffening, raised effect in the intermediate zone 12.

As various changes might be made in the embodiment of the herein disclosed invention, without departing from the spirit thereof, it is understood that all matter herein shown or described, shall be deemed illustrative and not by way of limitation, except as set forth in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A flexible frame element for a uniform cap comprising a molded plastic strip of uniform width, said strip comprising a longitudinally extending intermediate zone of uniform thickness throughout the length thereof formed with ventilating openings and a pair of oppositely disposed longitudinally extending marginal imperforate edge portions of similar cross section, said intermediate zone having a thickness slightly greater than that of said edge portions.

2. A frame element as in claim 1 wherein said marginal edge portions are of uniform thickness throughout the length and width thereof and have a width of about A.

3. A frame element as in claim 1 wherein said marginal edge portions have continuously smooth planar surfaces'on opposite sides thereof and a thickness of about .040 and said intermediate zone has a thickness of about .060".

4. A frame element as in claim 1 wherein one surface of said intermediate zone is embossed about said ventilating openings while the other surface of said intermediate zone is coplanar With adjacent surface portions of said marginal edge portions.

5. A frame element as in claim 4 wherein the embossed surface portion of said intermediate zone includes raised portions for stiffening said intermediate zone, said marginal edge portions being of rectangular cross section and of uniform thickness throughout the length thereof.

6. A frame element as in claim 1 wherein the rear surface of said strip is continuously planar from one longitudinal edge to the other longitudinal edge of said strip, the marginal edge portions on the front surface of said strip are continuously planar from one edge thereof to the other edge thereof, the intermediate zone on the front surface of said strip including embossed surface portions in raised relation to the front surface portions of said marginal edge portions and extending between the inner edges of the front surface of said marginal edge portions.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 4 10/1954 Libshutz et a1 2195 12/1955 Berg 2209.5 11/1956 Krasno 2171 X 3/1959 Goldmerstein 2171.2

FOREIGN PATENTS 2/ 1938 Austria.

JORDAN FRANKLIN, Primary Examiner.

G. KRIZMANICH, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A FLEXIBLE FRAME ELEMENT FOR A UNIFORM CAP COMPRISING A MOLDED PLASTIC STRIP OF UNIFORM WIDTH, SAID STRIP COMPRISING A LONGITUDINALLLY EXTENDING INTERMEDIATE ZONE OF UNIFORM THICKNESS THROUGHOUT THE LENGTH THEREOF FORMED WITH VENTILATING OPENINGS AND A PAIR OF OPPOSITELY DISPOSED LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING MARGINAL IMPERFORATE EDGE PORTIONS OF SIMILAR CROSS SECTION, SAID INTERMEDIATE ZONE HAVING A THICKNESS SLIGHTLY GREATER THAN THAT OF SAID EDGE PORTIONS. 